Along with Matthew from Jacobin Sports Show and Strick.land, we discuss the NY Knicks advancing to the 2nd round of the playoffs to take on the Pacers. We will discuss what the Knicks need to do to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. We will discuss also the NHL playoffs with the Rangers advancing to the 2nd round to face the Hurricanes. The 1st time we will be discussing hockey on the podcast.
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Do you think the Knicks will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals?
What do the Knicks need to do to advance?
Do you think the Rangers make it to the Conference Finals in the Eastern Conference?
Will Obi Toppin continue his great play in the playoffs?
#obitoppin, #nba, #nbaplayoffs, #nhl, #nhlplayoffs, #stanleycup, #jalenbrunson, #dontedivincenzo, #joshhart, #espn, #nbatv, #hockey, #pascalsiakam, #tyresehaliburton, #nesmith, #rickcarlisle, #tomthibodeau, #oganunoby, #alecburks, #deucemcbride, #nyknicks, #nyrangers, #indianapacers, #carolinahurricanes, #jacobinsportshow, #strick.land, #truplayazpodcast.
Sports finances relationships current events and many other topics along the way check out my next episode [Music] [Music] everybody it’s man Big D Coming live at another true players podcast episode with my brother Matthew from jacoban Sports show and the Strickland strict. land um we’re here to talk about the the the the Knicks advancing to the second round in a tough grueling six game series against 76ers and then now they taking on Indianapolis Indiana Paces right now but I’m excited because you know I was being mad was talking about it before I was nervous throughout the entire game we were up by 22 points and then all of a sudden Nick nurse through the through the curveball that I expected Tom tho to throw and put buddy Hill into the game he dropped 17 points in a matter of 13 minutes which which eventually put the Sixers back up by a couple of points but before we get to that let me have Matt introduce himself to the people everybody Matthew Miranda I’m an old I’m a long running guest on Don podcast uh I write for the Strickland cover the Nicks there the strict. land um named after the great Rod Strickland also um jackan Sports shows my podcast it’s j a c o b i n um you will want to check it out this week if you’re interested in the Nicks and the Pacers specifically I’m going to have on actually about an hour after me and Dom are done um I’m going to be interviewing Caitlyn Cooper Caitlyn Cooper covered the Pacers for many years for Indie cornrow she has her own site called basketball she wrote Kaitlin Cooper knows more about the Pacers than most of the people who work for the Pacers Rick Carlile has publicly praised her work several times Tyrese Halbert and subscribes to it other than being like in the Pacers coaches room this is about as close as you can get to someone who knows the X’s and O’s of this team like in and out so if you’re if you’re enough of a nerd that you really want to know what’s the difference between the way Tyrese Halbert rejects screens and Jaylen Brunson rejects screens this is someone that you you’ll want to hear too so you can hear us uh jackaman Sports show just Google it and you’ll find us online we’re on Spotify Apple um all the places that you can find everybody cool cool Matthew thank you very much for that definitely so we watched a game the Sixers game I believe it was um Friday right trying to get my Thursday th Thursday Thursday tell me how you felt because my father texted me the game started mad late it started like at 9: yeah and my dad texted me at about 9:45 going to bed and all he said and they were they were still up at that point and he was like and he always us tell me this when I was younger we would watch them he hates when the Knicks ever our whole lifetime he hates when the Knicks get off to Big leads and I do too because the only place it can go is down you don’t go up 20 in the first and just win by 40 like that know there’s always a comeback and so I want to know because when they were up 33 to 11 I was loving it and I expected a run but my thinking was okay this whole series has been neck and neck so even if the Sixers play neck and neck the rest of the game we’re fine there’s no problem unless there’s a total and then there was yeah when they were up 3311 did any part of you feel like we got this or was any part of you like this is not how the series has been I don’t know how did you feel up 3311 I’m like oh shoot please don’t blow this lead I don’t think anybody I don’t think the Nick fans were happy and I don’t think the sixer fans are happy nobody was happy at 33 to 11 um please don’t blow it deido please don’t blow it but however I like the fact they goty to a big lead only because you gave it gave them an opportunity to rest players during the game which he did not rest the players I think he pulled out um I believe he pulled out Josh Hart and put in McBride and then McBride did his sleep turnover and he pulled him out right away yeah he barely played yeah it was the starters Mitch and that was pretty much it MH and now we as they as he as they get ready to um first let me get your take on of the entire Series where you thought the Knicks was lacking and where they were fortuned to go on to the second round despite the talent of Philly I think Philadelphia can reasonably you know say and is is nowhere near 100% um and it didn’t really affect if you look at his scoring and his rebounding and even the blocks like the numerical production seems the same but I think and I think this will help the Knicks this series because embiid was so banged up especially as the series dragged on it was clear like he did not really want to post up he did not really want to take hits he did not want to go down low and get he was taking a lot of jumpers a lot of Threes he was making a lot of them and I think it will benefit the Knicks because Indiana Indiana plays a five out offense too with Miles Turner so it’s good that got some practice um against that I think you’ll see much more a Chua because Indie loves to run pick and roll with halberton and Turner and you need a center who can switch and ATU is the best one the NS have yeah so Philly can say all right embiid wasn’t fully healthy and you know whatever else you want to say but the playoffs are every single team in the playoffs basically at this point is not healthy or is missing someone or is the nck don’t have Randall what stood out to me in the nick series as the most probably concerning is just the depth um and I I I don’t know if this is Hope or just hopeless dreaming my assumption is that in this series they will have to play a Chua and they will have to play some Burks simply because you can’t go through everything you just did and ask seven or six guys to do it again so I think in the last series the biggest concern was they’re dropping like flies and as you continue to play people 45 50 minutes a game you’re increasing the likelihood that Brunson has a bad ankle sprain or heart comes down kind of funny on his knee and now you’re done because you’re running out of Replacements that was my biggest concern um in terms of their depth in terms of style of play you know I was worried about Divan chenzo but he still hit big shots throughout the series and then woke up very nicely I thought in game six yeah um he hit the huge three if you remember when the Sixers were up 10 in the third Maxi took a heat check three that would have put them up 13 missed it dvo came right around quick handoff right away put up a deep three made it got it right back to seven kept Philly from pulling away and I think if Philly had pulled away much further the Nick might have been in real trouble um so I I think I was concerned about the depth but still feel like I’m getting the effort and the play pretty much that I want from everybody like I can’t complain about Brunson I can’t complain about Hart I can’t complain about Haren Stein or Mitch do un limited action had a lot of nice moments um dvo was on and off but like even with that he had a game-winning shot he had two huge threes in the game three win and he had the huge three in the game six win so I’m not concerned about their playing style and I think in some ways Indiana will present obviously new challenges but in some way I think Indiana will not present some of the things that Philly did that the Knicks really struggled with but it’s still just a question of like when’s the last time you remember team riding six or seven guys three or four rounds what about you um I just but my thing is um thibo thibo should have experimented with Alec Burks in the game in the Philly games get him get him some reps to get them get them prepared for the uh for tonight’s game against Pacers the Pacers series is going to be a different Series this is the highest scoring team in the league they they run up and down the court you can’t sit there and play six guys and expect them to last that last the entire game with that Up Tempo offense they go go man which you know during the regular season they struggle that’s a match problem for the Knicks because halber is a big guard um you got Nate Smith you got cakam who’s a champion you know what I’m saying and uh Turner is an excellent um five and five and 3D type of player so it’s a different it’s a different type of game type of series a series that I believe he’s going to go seven yeah I and which I again we’ll see whether Tibido expands the rotation and Indiana I haven’t looked into it too deeply but I’ve heard they have you know halbert’s been compromised for a while since he heard his hamstring um I think they might be missing oh you know madin is out for them which sucks because he’s a great young player um if it goes seven if it goes seven and it’s at all the Pacers Tempo like I would be I would be concerned so I think defensive rebounding is going to be huge for the Knicks in this series because you’ve got to keep them off the glass from getting out on the run and they don’t need Indiana is astonishing they’re not most teams you know they want to get a defensive rebound and break the Pacers break after you score the Pacers break after the bers break just constantly um one thing to look out for in the series um that I’m going to talk to Caitlyn Cooper about so Brunson and halberton led the league and rejected screens they’re the two guards the most who will call for a screen and go the other way but um she’s talked about there’s differences in in how and why they reject a screen you know Brunson will tend to reject a screen so he can go into the the paint or the mid-range and start going between his legs finding his way to something halton’s not so much like a halfcourt screen rejector they run so much that halberton most of his rejected screens come in transition or secondary transition so the Knicks are going to have to be very communicative and alert on if Indie gets out on a run you got to have people who can switch you got to have people on a stram this is where I think a Chua might be a big deal um you there’s going to be a point in the series where Mitch and hartenstein are going to get cooked because they’re going to play Drop and Hal Burton’s a great shooter he hasn’t been playing as well since the injury but I feel think he’s a dangerous he was averaging 26 and 12 before the injury he’s still a dangerous dude um but that’s a big thing I think a huge thing the Knicks had I think the slowest Pace in the league and the Pacers were either first or second so sometimes it’s not as simple as one thing but I really think if you’re seeing the Knicks playing their style that means things are going well if you’re seeing them running up and down the floor maybe not yeah and lo and behold in that Series against the series against the Bucks our old friend Obby toin had a great series Obby toppin did have a great series um I heard um I Heard Caitlin talking about and I’m I wanted to find out you know what’s different about Obi and Obi you know if you watch that series the first thing I remember standing about Obi when he came into the league oddly was that he was like a really a pretty good passer not in the jic like LeBron way where he’s just you know crazy but but he always makes the right pass he’s connective the ball doesn’t stick with him like if you want an offense that’s moving Obie’s in the of it somewhere and Obi against the Bucks in that series I mean major advantage there’s no anmo but you play who’s in front of you and between I think Obi this year shot 40% on threes um career high in in scoring in minutes um you saw have been that series a lot of dunks he’s starting he he’s doing some things we haven’t seen before Obie all year I believe only took a shot as the rle man in a pick and roll like literally 10 times all year and but he had some nice moments against Milwaukee like a lefty like push shot um made a really beautiful live dribble left-handed pass and transition don’t underestimate there may be some motivation for Obi toen who was not thrilled with Tom tibo’s treatment of him um you remember it was about a year ago right now when the Knicks were playing the Heat that a story came out about Obi and tibs Obi kind of yelling at tibs um at some point in a practice for not getting more time or for something he’s going to be as excited as any bench player in the league is going to be seeing the blue and orange on the other sideline so I am afraid that at some point in the series Obi toppen is going to hit a heartbreaking Corner three um that’s gonna hurt like Nick fans but I’ve always loved him I’m I’m very excited he’s gotten to play um I’m especially excited because for a while the Pacers have had this kind of curse where they would sign lovable Nick forwards and then never play them they did it to Chris Copeland they did it to kylo Quinn so I was very worried when they signed Obi like he’s just going to rot but he’s fitting in it’s a perfect team for him perfect system and you know he’s going to have you know there’s going to be an Obi alleyoop or an East Bay dunk at some point in the next two weeks and it’s going to hurt a little bit yes it is yes it is because that’s what that was our guy that was our guy you know so um like I said I I hope his career flourishes but not against this us gu us next no we don’t want to see that we don’t want to see that but I’m concerned because of the minutes already been logged by Josh Hart he’s your spark plug guy he’s he’s Mr intangible you can’t be Mr intangible every single game for 48 minutes straight for six seven games in a row he needs a breather you would think so um here’s I’m not I don’t disagree with you but here’s well I’ll play maybe what tibs is thinking um this year the NBA established like as part of its laws and um guidelines for awards basically the idea that like load management is nonsense we we’re telling you as a league there’s no correlation between players playing too much an injury which we all know is nonsense but the league has a new media rights deal coming they want to bring the best negotiation that they can and that means telling all their Partners ah Our Stars play the games so give us the most money there was a I can’t remember now who ran it I think it was in the athletic but someone ran a uh numbers recently showing the difference in injuries last year before the new policy in this year there’s no difference in terms of overall injuries in the league but where there is a difference this season and I think and I’ve been screaming at Adam Silver in the NBA all year about this on my show what’s happened is that more of the injuries this year came late so early in the season there were fewer injuries but the last month they picked up and if you’re running a product and the playoffs are your big selling point you don’t want guys dropping late in the season there were eight first round series and there were at least eight star players out with injury either right either before it or during it um porzingis was out Randall was out uh antenna kmo and Lillard both missed significant time and be is significantly banged up um I don’t know if I can remember the rest of them oh Kawai um also out and then there were two more um oh who else is in the East uh they eight guys so tibo’s response might be look all these other teams you know have been trying to be careful with their people and resting people and low advantaging people and we’re one of the last eight doing it our way and Randall didn’t get hurt because of load management he had a freak injury and he went down um so maybe maybe the thinking to get back to your hard point you know Hart himself and not like he’s gonna say anything else but Hart has been very vocal like this is what I do all year like I’m conditioned for this because I play so much in the regular season I guess you can’t really make a judgment till it’s all done but as long as Hart is still playing 45 minutes a game and putting up 14 rebounds and hitting series winning shots they’re going to keep doing it that was a big shot he made good uh that was enormous enormous and it was beautiful because it was it was a cical heart shot in that he didn’t have time to think about it and that’s I think why he made it like he got it and it was an immediate he got the pass sto’s covered I gotta go up it’s when he gets it and all right I guess I’ll shoot it that’s when he like hits it off the front rim so hopefully they can keep him not thinking as much as possible yes just still keep him on the Move keep doing what he’s doing best grab for six4 64 uh guard averaging almost double digit rebounds per game which is amazing now I want to ask you about something that I just learned yesterday and had not been aware of so both of these teams feature Toronto forwards who they picked up mid-season who have an enormous for both transformative for both anobi the next record with is insane and he again in that game six 199 rebounds that dun on and be late um just the ability the the the luxury of we have a 68 old world Defender that we can throw like beautiful for Indiana you know seum destroyed the Pacers the first few games of that series with unen an anten kmo out um has been brilliant for them like all season I did not know they’ve never played against each other not only as because they were both Raptors and the Knicks and Pacers haven’t played this year since like December so the Pacers have not played the Knicks this year with Mitch or anobi the Knicks have not played the Pacers with cakam so that’s very interesting but also anobi was talking about it they never really played against each other even as teammates because when the Raptors would scribbage anobi and sakam as starters were always on the same team so they have like zero experience playing against each other so there’s a massive Wild Card of no one knows what’s going to happen when seaka Manan and OB be line up from each other I like to think ogi can do a good job on seak and seum is so important at this point to Indiana’s offense that I think that’s a big deal but I also think you’re going to see the Pacers throw seaka and points onto Brunson and that’s going to be difficult because he is big and long and really good defensively you they’ll try to screen him off and things but Philly never I mean Philly had success with guys like UB and Batum and siakam’s just bigger and better than those two so we’ll see how the ncks handle that angle I I feel they they’re going to handle this very well but the key the key is gotta get the first two games at home got to get the first two games so I’m very glad you wrote this up I don’t know if you know this the Knicks have not won I just figured this out the other day the Knicks have a a bad history now for a while of of splitting home games when they have the home court advantage like last year they had home court against Miami they split they never got the lead back in 2021 they had home court against the Hawks they split they never got the lead back against the Pacers 11 years ago Carmelo Hibert they had home court they split they never got the lead back you have to go back to literally I believe 1994 I think to get back to the to the to Indiana in the Conference Finals as the last time the Knicks won the first two games at home in a best of seven so I think that’s enormous and you saw it this series if you win the first two at home all the pressure in the world is on the road team not only in game three because Philly won game three pretty it was it was the least competitive game of the series and yet still all the pressure was on them in game four because like you can’t split you can’t go down 3-1 you go down 02 you have got to win both games so Pacers have never been in this situation as a group um I respect them but to be realistic they just beat a buck team with no Giannis and quite a bit of no Lillard or injury depleted liard this is a step up for them in class like this is a step up so punch him in the mouth a couple times then get it back to Indiana and then just get a split get a said than done but like I think I think the Knicks are in for a very different kind of opponent and I think the Pacers are too okay okay okay so we we gonna Segway a little bit off the Knicks because we I want to talk about different teams here and um Doc Rivers with the Bucks losing in six games yeah to the Pacers Grant he came in midseason have didn’t really have his full his coach full coach staff with him asking to run this team was 33 and 13 at the time number one seed in the conference at the time or were they I think Boston was still ahead but they were they were definitely two I believe they were two were two then um all because of players in like Adrian Griffin or whatever whatever happened with them Adrian Griffin I thought Adrian Griffin did a good job with that team to get with 33 and 13 the record was good the player so the the story is that the Milwaukee players did not like what they thought Griffin was making Griffin was adjusting their defense and apparently the players did not like the changes that he was making I think also you saw this also this year with the not quite the same because it was his second season but with Darvin ham and the Lakers there was a long history in the NBA where black coaches would only get the worst job they would only get expansion teams they would only get L the bullets uh the early Timberwolves they would only get bad teams and white coaches would get recy anytime you know a white Coach would get fired a couple years later he would bounce back into another job that began to change a bit I think Tyron L was one of the first endoc um coaches were like he’s not coming in for [ __ ] like you bring it in Tyron L you’re giving him a real team and and he knows it um doc and Darvin ham I think both this year suffered and they’re different because Doc is obviously a coach who’s won a title he’s coached a million teams but he’s still the first year coach with Milwaukee and Darin ham was the second year coach with the Lakers and I feel both of them were victimized by organizations that messed up the organization’s not going to take the blame Giannis is not going to take the blame it’s not his fault he’s hurt we know LeBron’s never going to take the blame for anything so someone’s got to take the blame in in La it was Darin H um and in Milwaukee I don’t think the problem is Doc Rivers I think with Milwaukee you had Mike buen holer a couple years ago not a perfect coach at all but you want a title with him and you decided he’s got to go so we can bring in someone with zero experience and then when that guy’s like 30 and 10 we’re going to fire him midseason which is very rare for a contender to bring in a guy who has not had success ultimately I mean he’s had a lot of nice teams but you’re bringing in Doc to win a Tyler you’re not bringing in Doc to win 50 games did it end well in Boston for Doc did not end well with the clippers for Doc did not end well in Philadelphia for Doc this is a man who everywhere he has ever left it’s someone else’s fault you bring him in to replace your rookie and who’s going to take the fall now because it’s not he didn’t do a great great job but like what was he supposed to do right you know but red red arback was not going to win with the Bucks not having Giannis and Lillard no but there’s no love there doc has been vocally critical of the Bucks all year because it’s not really his team um to that to me is is a classic and Phoenix is do Phoenix is going to do the same thing I guarantee you with Vogal that’s the organization saying someone’s taking the hit and it’s not going to be the owner and we’re not going to trade Our Stars so coach I don’t think that’s I I got a lot of problems doc rers but you can’t lay this at the feet of Doc rers got you got you I don’t want him anywhere near my team but I’m just saying no no no this is not his fault but you know they the the Bucks really miss Drew holiday there’s another thing um let’s be real this team won a title so after last year it’s only been two years since they won a title mhm they decided and I understand it I understand the thinking the thinking was you’re not you’re probably not going to win with Chris Middleton as your second best offensive player he’s just a little too banged up and old if you’re going to compete with Boston you’re going to compete with Philly with embiid and Maxi you need a better second option Lillard on paper better second option certainly offensively but the the the you know how it’s like like in baseball sometimes you will you you’ll intentionally walk the clean up hitter because it’s the right move at the time but if the very next thing so you got a guy in second you walk the lead off hitter the next thing I mean sorry guy on second first base is open there’s two outs so you walk the clean up hitter but then on the next pitch your pitcher throws a wild pitch now they’re second and third third you had a good idea but it’s but you can’t control how the next step is going to change things bringing in Lillard was a good idea but as soon as it became clear this is that Portland Dame this is Milwaukee Dame and to be fair just because I know people like to crap on athletes like they don’t have personal lives L got divorced right before the trade his kids are still in Portland he talked openly during the season about how lonely he was how his life in Milwaukee was I go to the arena and I come home and that’s it like so you all these things you don’t know they’re going to happen but once they happen you have to keep you know you throw that wild pitch now maybe you got to walk the five hitter now maybe you got to bring cuz now you need the base was loaded for a force and now maybe you need to bring in a lefty all these changes have happened because one thing you did you know snowballed bringing in Lillard didn’t just mean we’re taking Dame and Drew’s gone it meant Boston now can get drew it means your top opponent in the conference now has the best defensive point guard in the league a guy who’s played years with Giannis he knows your luckily for the bucks they never matched up with Boston I think Drew would have eaten them alive if come I think he would have eaten them alive if it had come down to it so now they got an offseason to figure out and and Giannis was not quiet a year ago about I’m gonna play where I have the best chance to win a title when you look at that roster right now I think Brook Lopez is a free agent Dame is Old Middleton is Dame’s over 30 something Middleton’s over and this is not 303 31 like Dame is mid-30s midon is mid-30s um who knows if Yannis looks around and says it’s been real I’ve given you everything I have now get me where I want to go MSG could so just saying the Bucks have a lot a lot of bigger problems than Doc Rivers I ask you about let me ask you a question about another Series in the East because right now the last first round series is still happening Orlando is up wow Orlando’s up 278 early in the second in Cleveland in game seven Orlando yeah do you have a feel over which of those Jared Allen is out he’s dealing with a like a rib problem assume Orlando or Indiana get or Orlando Cleveland get to the next round they’re reasonably healthy full strength which team do you think do you think either team can give Boston no problem if they’re full strength I believe Cleveland give him a bigger problem only if Jared Allen plays yeah only if that and that’s why they still that’s why they going through seven gam right now because Jared Allen is not playing I think Cleveland’s going through seven games because I think again we always talk about players and we always talk about coaches but we’re talking earlier about work coming out of work work has a culture you work the same job but two different companies two different bosses two different staffs completely different environment I’ve taught in schools I’ve taught at colleges where like everyone’s got their stuff together and I feel like I’m just part of a smooth machine and I’ve had other colleges I’m not going to mention Rochester Institute of Technology that are literal hell on Earth and they do everything they do everything to make it impossible Cleveland to me I’m not sure about JB bicker staff as a coach I’m not sure about some of their players but this is a team last year that got punched in the mouth by the Knicks admitted it afterwards oh the lights were too bright weird thing to hear I appreciate honest to usually but I’m not sure I want to hear that from my team and now this year you ducked possibly the two seed because you wanted Orlando because all you cared about was we got to win one series because then I don’t know if I told you I can’t remember if we talked about I think we did talk about this a couple pods ago when I was on I’ve heard from people around Cleveland that Donovan Mitchell made it public earlier this season that unless they reach at least the Conference Finals he wants out I think Cleveland knew late in the season we are not a conference finalist we’re going to tank get a series as we can win that way we lose in the second round of Boston Mitchell wants out we can tell the world he’s running see he’s afraid we’re clearly making progress and he’s bailing on us this is all a up but if they lose today the gamble was okay you got Orlando mm if you lose to the magic and the magic are not when it looked like the Knicks might get the magic I was not excited I thought the Knicks would win because I don’t think Orlando has enough Firepower yeah but they defend at every single position like their life depends on it starters and bench yes if Cleveland loses to this team Donovan Mitchell doesn’t need to say a word he’s just going to he’s just going to wave and just walk off in Sunset and like Yannis he’s going to want to go somewhere I wonder where he’s going to want to go but that’s organizational that’s the same jackass who wrote the letter to LeBron that’s the same ownership that’s the same mentality that’s a loser franchise and I don’t put that on I’m not thrilled with all their players but that’s that’s ownership okay okay so Nick possibly get both Yannis so far we got the Nick getting Yannis and Donovan and spider right de Booker Deon Booker might want out two so we can add all three they they say he’s that’s not true but you know who really knows because you thing about the um dein Booker Leon Rose used to be his agent who knows who really knows the truth and he does know the truth and so does worldwide West they know the truth so Stephen A could say that’s going to happen someone else someone else in this C could say oh that’s not true it’s all lip service to not to keep the tampering situation to a minimum y that’s all it is remember the Knicks lost a pick they don’t care but they lost a second when they signed Brunson I think they’re very mindful of our season still running we’re doing great we don’t got to say nothing about nobody let everybody else talk we’ll be there when it’s over but Nicks are in a good position and Fenix got some that the Knicks have which is first round picks not only that don’t though they kind of don’t uh because Phoenix acquiring Durant and Beal has traded pretty much all their picks or or traded swaps from now till like I think it’s like 2030 the Suns have no flexibility in any way they don’t have any good pick they don’t they really don’t have picks to trade they don’t have any cap space they don’t have any players that anyone wants because it’s either Booker who they don’t want to get rid of or Durant be which like nobody’s going to give you what you paid for them because everybody knows their damaged goods so you know there was a lot of laughter um when the son’s owner Matt ishia gave a press conference after the season and publicly said there’s 29 other teams in the league and 26 of them would trade Rost he should be committed for saying that MH like literally you’re saying 90% of the league wants what you have no nobody want literally nobody wants what you have pick a team you need one team that would would Brooklyn even trade places Phoenix is Where Brooklyn was two years ago yeah I cannot think of a team that would say yes give me no cap space suen older players on the back nine of their career and no control over our draft for the next six years yeah give me that if I’m Deon Booker again I don’t need to really make a stink MH everybody everybody in that organization knows you got to get out of this and the only way you’re gonna get out of this probably is trading Devin Booker at some point yeah gotta go got to got to man we got some time left man so we we we’re gonna tag back before we end the show we’re gon tag back back to the Knicks but we got some time we we I know you want to do a hockey special on the podcast so this is the opportunity right now as we see the Rangers sent Alex rkin packing with the brooms so your thoughts on that uh as a long I think the Rangers are the first team I ever followed um as a kid I remember reading news day and I was always attracted to them just because the names were so weird like compared to other sports so I follow the Rangers a long time I have no love in my heart for the Washington Capitals I have not even I remember your child of unale 1986 the Islanders on a patla Fontaine I think third overtime or fourth overtime goal fourth overtime beat the capitals I’ve always hated the capitals um so anytime you beat Obin who remarkable player remarkable career um God knows he’s killed the Rangers many times in the past always feels good to beat Washington um Carolina is a very different opponent different level of opponent um team that matches up very interestingly with the Rangers very strong team I don’t know where this is going but I’ll say that like this Ranger team a lot like the Knicks um I have not seen a ranger team look like this in a very long like this good the lanquist teams had the goalie to do it but they didn’t always have the full depth and sometimes their their best offensive players you know could get a little shut down in the playoffs um but yor shurkin is a Stanley Cup he’s as good a goalie as there is in the league um panan has had an astonishing season crder has been remarkable zad is is always seems to come through they’ve they’re incredible on the power play they’ve improved um five on five wise this is absolutely like a you want to pick a team right now you really can’t pick a better bet than the Rangers have to see what happens but I feel just like with the Knicks I feel better about the Knicks than I have in like 25 years I feel better about the Rangers than I have in a very very very long time but I’ve seen Carolina beat them I know what Carolina can do um but very always exciting to have Nick’s Rangers happening simultaneously um making a deep playoff run like it just the whole city seems to pick up on it it’s it’s a beautiful thing I can’t believe Chris K is still there still there as playing there last ever last time I watch the Rangers was in the it was in the uh NHL finals against the Kings with Alan Alan Veno yes as their um head coach with M too yes M I think is more is more is deeper and more more talented across the board that team was lunis can can get us to a cup this team is this team can win the cup okay okay okay so what happened to the Islanders they got swept what’s going on with them I mean the Islanders are on a a different level the Islanders are you think of like you get to a point in your life when you really trying to settle down you’re trying to like you want to live in the right neighborhood you’re trying to maybe settle down with a family you’re not looking for a job you’re trying to settle a career and you got a little brother who’s like five six years younger than you and he’s still out running in the streets he’s still running from girl to girl he’s still hopping from gig to Gig you ask him what he wants to do he’s got a lot of ideas he’s just in a different time of life that’s the Islanders they’re they’re just in a different different stage of their development different time that’s their I don’t got to worry about them I wish them well as you you may have this too I’m I am a union deer so while I am a ranger fan as long as the Islanders aren’t playing them I like the Islanders too I got no problem with them they’re just in a different they’re in a they’re in a they’re everything that’s a different neighborhood right now they’re just I think them them not playing playing at the barn at the KY Sims is different than playing a UBS yes I think that’s I think the Islanders is one of those teams in sports that just cannot seem to catch a break like I feel bad for their fans because there was no reason to talk whatever [ __ ] you want about the Coliseum like you didn’t have to leave the Coliseum um if you want to the Coliseum doing what they did in Brooklyn was never it was never about what’s best for the team MH you know it was this is good who was it at the time it was uh Charles Wong um Charles Wong was the owner it was good for Charles Wong it was good for proov um it was good for whoever took over next it was never good for the fans it was never good for the team even the compromise feels very like this isn’t about what’s best for the team this isn’t about you know a franchise that can go toe-to-toe with the Rangers or I I feel I feel for H fans but it’s better than losing them there was all that talk about they’re going to go to Kansas City they’re gonna so they’re still there thank god um but again you know I walk by that house every day I look in the window I say God bless those people they have their problems I have mine I keep walking there you go and let me ask you a non a non hockey question sure let me ask you a a New York question go right Jets had the draft M every draft mock draft I saw they’re getting neighbors they’re getting Dynamic receiver they’re getting Dynamic tight end I do not hate the idea that they drafted a lineman um I don’t hate that they traded down a pick and got probably the same guy they wanted how did you feel did you feel like quarterback’s 41 you have to protect him some way second just give me a second sure man we’ll be back with us in a second yeah we’re gonna talk about the New York Jet a little bit about Olu fashu ranu I believe the name is and um how I feel about the pick I mean the pick is the pick is a good pick you know for the for the um where they picked them at um like I said the ne the Jets most important Jets needed death at lineman and death at wide receiver I think they could have used instead of getting on two running backs they could have used that extra pick to get another wide receiver my my pick would have been Brendan um Brendan rice Jerry Rice’s son but you know as you can see they it Brandon Brandon rice fell down from he was projected to go round three round four and then went down to round round seven to the Chargers thanks Matt Matt’s back with us yeah Matt I was explaining to him about the um the left tackle that picked up in the with the 11th pick I think ol fanu aanu I think is his yes um I felt that the jet should have picked up instead of picking up two running backs later later in the rounds they had opportunity to pick up a second receiver they picked up that kid from fell Florida State who says they claim he’s going to be a good receiver but I did when you saw um Brendan rice Jerry Rice’s son fall in the draft he’s protected to go round three round four fall down the seven I felt that J Judas picked him up based on not because his father’s Jerry Rice but because his father is Jerry Rice and the work eth that come because the work ethic that Jerry Rice was Will to put through to become the greatest receiver of all time right and it’s still in that on the sun yeah people plead hypocrisy here because you know if the Jets take if the Jets don’t take a lineman and Rogers gets hurt again I’m going to be the first person being like you got a 40 something year old quarterback how you not take a lineman but I’m also the same Jet fan who that who all the draft is like trade whatever you have to to get up to number four and take Marvin Harrison Jr yeah do it I suppose you know The Optimist would say they got a good young player at a spot that they need period um um we’ll see where it goes once upon a time the Jets had a lot of success drafting offensive line I think they got mangled and deaw on the same draft I think same draft um it would be nice to have a line again not only for Rogers this season but presumably if you’re going to keep G Wilson around if you’re going to keep you know trying to push towards something greater Beyond Aaron roders an offensive line will appeal to you know some quarterback at some point another thing too was more importantly for any football team you gotta if you got a big time receiver in the draft your window is his rookie contract to get where you need to be before you start have to before you have to pay pay them what you start to pay them is a different store different ball game you’re GNA Hur different aspects of your team to make sure that works and G Wilson and S Gardner was drafted in the same exact draft and you’re gonna have to pay them yep yeah you are you are this actually this ties back in a way to the the Knicks we were talking earlier about you know they might would they go after Booker would they go after Mitchell would they go after um who’s the third one we talked about uh Giannis Giannis this the Knicks are kind of coming up on a point now of like like they’ve had just cap heaven for years they’ve been in this beautiful spot but now everything’s kind of coming like to a to a point OG OG next year is on a player option for 19 million he’s going to reject it because he’s going to get twice that much so you’re gonna have to pay OG Randall and Brunson next season for both of them is the last year they’re under contract the year after they both have player options they’re both going to decline them because they’re going to get big de someone so you’re gonna have to pay Brunson you G have to pay R Randall you have to pay OG hardstein is a free agent um auua has a team option I assume that they’ll pick it up um but you know the only person under contract three more years are Hart Divan chenzo and McBride so similar the Knicks are coming up on a point of like once you give OG 40 and everyone brunson’s a bar and everybody loves what a barg and Brunson is he’s not going to give you a bargain next time there is talk this off season there is and he’s talked about it a little bit too if he wants to most money he’ll play this season and then opt out and go for a new deal if he wants the security now and to get a little bit less but save them a little flexibility he can do an extension this offseason there has been talk that Brunson might be interested in that um but and no matter what he’s going to go up from he’s making this year 26 million that’s going to double Randall is making 20 and then 30 if you keep him that’s going to go up OG’s OG’s going to double if you want hartenstein and there’s an argument to be made like you maybe don’t want to let this guy go they could lose hartenstein and auua in the same offseason if they don’t play it right right so it’s not just are they going to keep these guys but like you now it becomes also like you’re going to have a window to make moves and like is that going to be this off season do you resign everybody and that way when you go to make the B I think eventually if they’re going to go for another big star I don’t like saying this because I love the guy more than most but I think randle’s gonna be the one to go um because it’s not gonna be Brunson it’s not gonna be OG just because what he does is too special and specific probably gonna be Randall if you’re gonna get Giannis Randall’s out if you’re gonna get Booker or Mitchell salary-wise Randall’s out so maybe yeah give him his deal now also because then I you can work toward trade later I I think the Knicks are in a very exciting point of their season I’m just trying to also highlight the point that I think they may have a more dramatic offseason than people are thinking and I would pay a lot of attention to how some of the other series wind down um because I think if you’re the Knicks this is this may be the summer to make a big move and there so there’s also the the the um underlining um other Ville Nova cat over there in Brooklyn there is um and the the trick of course with M Bridges I don’t think anyone doubts at all that he would be much much much happier playing on the other team in town he’s got two years left on his deal after he makes 23 next year and then 24 the year after that would the Nets ever ever ever trade him to the Knicks I don’t know that’s a petty franchise a petty franchise in a bad spot is not going to get less Petty um I’m very curious about that um I find it’s a great it’s a great hypothetical I I can’t imagine it the Knicks and Nets I think trade about as often as the Mets and Yankees like they just don’t they don’t make deals um and I think the Nets knowing everybody in their mother knows Michel wants to go to to these guys we will we will burn ourselves alive before we let that happen like I like M I would not hold your breath on that one man I’m not holding your breath on that one right there’s a better chance Giannis is coming here than M well that’s the that’s the better option no no honestly is Giannis could be I mean healthwise you question that but but Yannis is I think jannis is in a state place right now he doesn’t seem too happy in Milwaukee yeah how old jannis is he’s like he’s under 30 still right 29 yeah that’s that first that first number still start that guy’s been around a long ass time and that age still starts with a two and before this season I mean here’s here’s your one okay here’s your one and I don’t think this is enough to stop it but this year he got hurt at the end last year he missed 19 games the year before that he missed 15 uh the last year before Co he missed 10 games since he he hasn’t missed like basically less than 10 games in a year since he was 23 so that’s the only and and I mostly bring it up because and I this the only thing I’ve ever probably praised James Dolan for James Dolan was very smart a couple years ago about I am not breaking the bank for a 30 a 30-year-old forward coming off of an injury because I already did that with mcdice I did that with Eddie Curry I did that with Amari sodm and I did that with Chris porzingis I’m not doing that again maybe that was luck I’ve never thought Dolan was like the sharpest you know the sharpest knife in the draw but maybe that’s what’s maybe that’s a thing and if that’s a thing you know a year ago we were all talking about embiid I don’t think anyone’s touching that now just because of Health nope my question would be brunson’s 27 heart’s 20 something still all the Knicks besides um they’re they still all you know mostly 20s something the important guys maybe you can do maybe you can aim younger than Giannis but there is something insane also about saying like oh I’ll pass on on on on ten kumbo like if you can get him you probably want to get him you want to get him then then you got you got to peas of bringing his brothers in to nasis and all the other guys too but you had the nasis here once save that spot at the end of the bench let him come in and do dirty fouls every game like he does for the buck late definitely definitely man we G we about to end this podcast because the game’s coming up in about a c about an hour or so we want the fans to enjoy it get ready for it get their mindset ready let me ask you about the West real fast too what are your what are you expecting as far as um Denver and Minnesota and what are you expecting now that it’s Dallas against OKC do you have do you have a strong feeling either way about how you think those series might go Denver and Minnesota’s gonna go seven games and I do believe they have the big man to handle joic Minnesota’s no joke yeah Minnesota is no joke and Anthony Edwards has done he’s made that lead baby Jordan he’s yep he’s made that leap I wonder I’ve always liked him and he’s always been good but I’ve always been like is he as good as everyone says he he is now he is now number one defensive team in the NBA let’s not forget that also yeah no joke at all I think they get Denver more problems than probably any other team in the league as far as Dallas versus OKC experience- wise I believe Dallas is going to win in six nice experience-wise with L Luca and Kyrie Kyrie when he wants to be when he wants to be God when he’s in god mode you’re not going to stop Kyrie Y and that’s where he is right that’s where he’s been now for for a while this is the only part with Kyrie is he’s not in god mode all the time yeah but right now I mean this is like Cleveland Kyrie where like you don’t hear anything it’s just all you’re hearing about is basketball and if if that’s all you’re hearing about with Kyrie seems pretty healthy um that is a game changer because that is still literally one of the only human beings on the planet who is unguardable really truly is he might miss but you’re not taking him out of the game no and I wonder with OKC dorts really good dorts l dorts a brilliant Defender um they got a lot of long you know long guys in their front Court um they’re a nasty team but you know he you saw if you saw that shot against the Clippers like something is different when it’s this guy when this guy is doing this like does not compute no I mean Luca’s banged up and struggling and if you had said before the series to me Luca’s going to finish this series banged up and struggling MH all right Clippers are going to win MH never had a chance CL the clip has always been disappointing so I’m not going to waste any more time on them no they don’t deserve it Kaw should just came to Knicks I mean but now with his injury situation I don’t want him one of Knicks nope no way that’s the funny thing this season you said a year ago you want Kawai kaai be perfect you want embiid I’ll take embiid embiid’s perfect I even I did a poll earlyer this year before the OG trade I asked people on Twitter like if you could replace RJ straight up with Paul George what would that do the Knicks like upside title title Contender title Contender Paul George wants a max deal at 34 I’m not giving him that no no stay away stay away from that I’m paying no 34 year olds 32 year olds nope not max deals this is the point we’ve seen it before with the Knicks the Knicks are good enough not just now but in their in their future looking that they don’t they can be picky you want to come be a part of this you better fit in yeah this is not though this is not we’re going to trade eight pieces because we’re desperate they no desperate three teams Dom this’s the last point I’ll give you three teams in the whole NBA won a playoff series last year and this year three out of 30 teams Denver defending Champions Boston defending finalists and the Knicks no one else is Denver trading eight people for one guy no Boston trading eight people for one guy so let Miami go figure it out with Butler let Cleveland figure out with Mitchell let Philly figure it out with their whole roster let the Clippers figure out what they’re going to do the Knicks can sit back and say you want to be a part of this come fit right in it’s a nice spot to be in it has been a literal lifetime but I don’t think I’ve ever seen my team in this position long time long time Ying day Ying days going way back way back to the days we’re going back to the high top fade and the knee pads taking it way way way back definitely definitely on that note ladies and gentlemen me and Matt G to sign up on the podcast I’m definitely check out his podcast he’s gonna meet up with the umer okay definitely he G up with um Miss Cooper and talk about Indiana Pacers basketball right before the game tonight all right so stay tuned games games tomorrow D tomorrow oh yeah yeah my bad tomorrow tomorrow getting getting the people all hyped up and then they going come after you tomorrow 7:30 Nick Pacers game one got you got you all right so me and Matt we gonna sign up on this podcast mat me and Matt will be back again um talk about the transition over to the Indiana um Arena enjoy the two games ladies and gentlemen we’re gonna be signing off it’s man Big D sign off peace love and happiness later always [Music]
